UPDATED: Route 15 South reopens
JEFFERSON. The temporary Route 15 southbound bridge over the Rockaway River is finished a week earlier than anticipated.
| 15 Jul 2024 | 08:55
The temporary Route 15 southbound bridge over the Rockaway River has reopened a week earlier than anticipated, state New Jersey Department of Transportation officials said Sunday, July 14.
Work continues to replace the 124-year-old bridge in Jefferson.
The Route 15 southbound bridge was closed June 4 after monitoring equipment showed movement in the structure.
The DOT promised to build a temporary bridge to restore two lanes of traffic in six weeks; the target date for reopening had been July 19.
A 150-foot-long temporary bridge was positioned directly above the remaining portion of the Route 15 southbound bridge.
There are no restrictions on the temporary bridge.
The permanent replacement for the bridge will have two 12-foot-wide travel lanes, 10-foot-wide inside and outside shoulders, and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge.
Construction is expected to be completed in late 2025.
